Category: Fairfax County

CSG in the News: Virginia Reduces Speed Limit On Stretch Of Route 1 In Fairfax County

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

May 22, 2023 | DCist | Jenny Gathright

Sonya Breehey, the northern Virginia advocacy manager for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, says the speed limit reduction is a “win for a safer Richmond highway and the communities along the corridor.”

“The Richmond Highway corridor is just dangerous, and routinely sees higher than average crashes and fatalities,” Breehey tells DCist/WAMU. “So this is certainly a step in the right direction that will help make the roads safer for everybody no matter how you travel — but most especially for our vulnerable road users: those who are walking and biking.”

Breehey added that additional improvements are still needed.

“Dropping the speed limit along won’t be enough,” she says. “It’s one tool in the toolbox.”

Read the full story!

RELEASE: Groups weigh in on Fairfax Board of Supervisors races

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

With Fairfax County facing significant transportation, affordable housing, and environmental challenges, a diverse network of sixteen (16) local and regional conservation, smart growth, bike/ped, housing, and social equity groups released a platform for candidates for the Board of Supervisors.

Titled A Vision for an Environmentally Sustainable Fairfax County: Inclusive, Walkable, Transit-Friendly Communities, the groups have sent the platform to all Board candidates in Fairfax County for whom contact information could be found.

Joint Comments from Fairfax Healthy Communities Network on SSPA nominations

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

Our network partners envision a Fairfax County where people can live, work, and play in connected communities that are healthy, sustainable, and inclusive. In this vein, we have worked together to review the set of 70 SSPA nominations with the principles that they should provide more homes, be accessible to transit, be equitable, and provide good environmental sustainability and design.

CSG Comments in Support of Huntington Metro Site-Specific Plan Amendment

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

CSG writes to convey our support for the Huntington Metro Station plan amendment, which lays the groundwork to transform the Huntington Metro station area into an inclusive, walkable, bike-friendly, transit-oriented community. One important recommendation we have for the plan is to include language that the County will work with WMATA to provide needed public funding for the transit center to ensure the redevelopment can move forward. 

CSG/CASA Comments: Culmore Pedestrian Safety Improvements

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) and CASA write to provide comments (attached and below) to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) on recommendations for pedestrian safety improvements in the Culmore community presented at the Aug. 4th public meeting. 

Help make sure Route 7 safety improvements happen in Culmore!

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

Wow! Over a hundred residents, including school-aged children, attended the Route 7-Culmore Pedestrian Safety public meeting demanding that Fairfax County and VDOT make it safer for their families and neighbors to walk and bike in the community.

On the positive side, officials announced at the meeting the possibility of several safety enhancements – a speed study, a crossing study, and potential sidewalk connections. However, we are very concerned these studies will take years to implement and that the short-term fixes they’ve already done to Route 7 are totally inadequate to truly keep people safe now.

Please email your comments before the August 26 deadline demanding more robust short-term fixes and asking that they prioritize and fund the longer-term projects ASAP.

Email Comments Today!

Community feedback shared during the meeting was very much aligned with the findings of the walkability survey conducted by CSG and CASA in Spring 2022. Residents living in the Culmore community overwhelmingly feel unsafe walking and biking along Route 7 citing poor lighting, dangerous driving, and the lack of connected sidewalks, bike infrastructure, and safe crossing options as core problems.

We are urging several quick fixes that are critical for making the area safer now while longer-term plans are developed, including:

  • Installing a temporary, in-street sidewalk connection with jersey barriers or flex posts until a permanent one can be built in front of the gas station where the woman was struck and killed in December
  • Reprogramming the traffic signals to give pedestrians a head start and more time to cross Route 7 at all intersections in the corridor
  • Lowering the speed limit and adding driver speed feedback signs
  • Adding more high visibility crosswalks across Route 7 as well as side streets and driveways along the corridor.
  • Providing brighter pedestrian-scale lighting along Route 7 and in the neighborhoods

You can email comments to VDOT and Fairfax County using our action form here asking for these needed quick fixes and safety improvements. Personalizing the email with your own experiences would make an even stronger statement. Comments are being accepted through this Friday, August 26.